Thermostatic furnace regulator



` Feb. 12., 1935. G, w FOLK 1,990,540

THERMOSTATIC FURNACE REGULATOR Filed Jan. 30, v19.32

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. I2, 1935 j UNITED f STATE-s PATENT ortica THERMOSTATIC FURNACE REGULATR George W.' Fo1k,.south Bend; nui.`

Application-January 30, i932, 'serial No. 589,953

v5 claims. (ci. 2364-155 The invention relates to thermostaticiurnace regulators of the type illustrated in my cepending application, Serial No. 552,966, led July 24, 1931, which have connection 'with and control the check and draft dampers of a. furnace responsive to heat changes therein to provide a uniformfurnace heat.,

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having` a pair of members formed of materials having different coefficients of expansion, and. simple means connected with and actuatedby relative expansion and contraction of `said membersr to operate the Ydamp'e'rs of a furnace.

A furtherY object is to -provide a device of this character having apair of members formed 0f materials having different coecients vof expansion, anda damperopera'ting 'member pivotally carried'by one member of said pair and having an eccentric pivotal connection withthe other member of said pair. I

Afurther object is to provide a'device of this character having damper-operating means and an electric switch controlled by said damper-operating-means.

With the .above andother objects in view, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and c1ain'1ed,yit being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made withinthe Vscope of what is claimed without'departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing: l l y -Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view of the device.

Figure 3 is a longitudinalvertical sectional view of a modified construction of the device,

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the modified device taken on lne4-4 of Fgure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal horizontal sectional view of another modied constructionof the device.

Figure 6 is` an Yenlarged fragmentary4 longitudinal vertical sectional View of the preferred embodiment of the'device illustrating an electric switch operatively carried thereby.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 10 designates a frame, preferably of U-section, which is adapted tov be mounted in the head of a hot air furnace. A casing 11 is formed at one end of and preferably integrally with the frame 10, and

has an openingv 12 therein communicating withl the inner side of frame l0. `One end kof the casing 11 is open and mounts a cover plate '13. The casing I1 carries flanges 14. by which it maybe secured to the head vof .a furnace, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1. f 1

A transversely extending plate 15 is formed at the end of frame 1'0 opposite thefcasing 11 and is provided with an opening through which the end of. a metal rod 16 extends.Y Nuts 17 are threaded on rod 16 on opposite sides of plate 15 to secure the end of the rod 16 -and frame 10 against relative movement. One or more transverse plates 18 similar to plate 15 are integrally formed with frame 1.0 inspaced relationk and between the casing 11` and plate 15. Suitable aligned openings are formed in these plates 18 for the reception of rodl 16 which is slidable therein and guided thereby. The free end ofrod 16 preferably terminates in spaced relation'to casing 1,1 and xedly carries an alignedtting 19 whichproje'cts into the opening 12 of casing'll. y

. A shaft 20 is rotatably journaled in the sides of the casing 1,1 substantially centrally thereof and mounts a disc 2,1. The disc 21 isk positioned adjacent one side of the casing and 'disaligneol from the rod 16 and tting'lQ, and carries a laterally projecting s tud 22 in closely spacedrelaf tion. to shaft 20. Alink 23 is pivotally mounted on stud 22 at one of its ends and pivotally connected to fittingvlQ atits opposite end; and ris provided with a goose necki24 at its stud connected end Which permits it to overlay to shaft`20 with; out interference therefrom when stud 22 is po.- sitioned as shown in Figure Al. Theperiphery of the disc is providedwithga'groove 525rfor the receptionof a damper-operating chain 26 which is fixedly held byV pin 27 to prevent movement of the chain relative to the disc. The chain 26 passes from the casing 11 through suitable openings 28 andv is Vconnected to the furnace dampers'.

Assuming that the coefficient of` expansion of the rod 16 is greater than thatfoftheframe 10, the device as illustrated in Figure l is being subjected toa high heat which hasjcaused expansion of rod 16 relative to frame 10. Upon lessening of the degree ofv heat to which the device is subjected the rod 16 will .contract and pull upon the link 2.3, thereby rotating the disc' 21`clockwise to pull uponone end of the damper-operating chain 26 and slacken the 'other end of the chain. Likewise, when greater heatvis` applied to the device the expansion of rod Ilygpushffzs upon link 23 to rotate disc 21 in 'counterclockwise direction. It will be seen that this interconnection of the two end of rod 30 which is mounted in the frame 10 and extends through opening 12 'into casing 11 Where it is pivotally secured to stud22. y A goose neck 31 is formed on the stud-connected end of ro-d 30 to overlay the shaft 20 'of the disc. Spaced transversely extending plates 32 are carried rby the frame 10 and are provided with vertically elongated slots 33 through which the rod 30 passes. The construction of this modified type of device differs from that of the preferred type only in the unitary construction of the relatively' expansible rod 30 which is connected at its opposite ends to plate 15 and stud'22, eliminating the pivotally interconnected fitting 19 and link 23 ofA the preferred construction, and in providing elongated guide slots in transverse plates 32.' Ihe` operation of the preferred and this modified type` of device is similar. As shown in dotted lines in Figure 3, the rotation of .thedisc induced byexpansion and contraction of rodl'30 causes the rod to raise and lower about its fixed connection with plate 15 as a pivot. Thisraising and lowering ofA the rod is accommodated by the slots 33 which guide the expansive and contractive movement of the rod relative to frame 10. .y

A further modified construction of the device is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the difference of the construction resides in the casing 11 and its contained chain controlling mechanism. Inthis construction a shaft 35 is journaledin the sides of the casing 11 and mounts a bevel 1 gear` 36 carrying a suitable lstud eccentricallyv thereof which lis-pivotally connected with a link 37Vpivotally carried at its other end by the relatively expansible rod 38. The gear 36 meshes with a bevel pinion gear39 mounted on a shaft 40 journaled in the cover 41 of the casing`11. The shaft 40 also mounts adisc 42 over which the furnace damper controllingchain extends." Byl this construction it will be seen that a double increase in the amount of movement ofthe chain for a rela-v tively slight movement of the rod 38 is obtained,

which makes the devicefrespon'd much quicker to slight changes in furnace temperature and con--y sequentlyincreases the effectiveness of the device.

In Figure 6 is illustrated an electrical switch cooperating with the preferred form of my device illustrated in Figure 1. In this construction a bracket 45 is pivoted to the casing 11 at 46 in spaced relation to the periphery of disc 21. The bracket 45 mounts a mercury arc switch 47 of conventional construction having lead wires 48. One end of bracket 45 carries a spring 49 secured at its opposite end to the casing, andv which normally tilts the bracket to hold the switch in open-circuit position. An arm extendsfrom bracket 45 in spacedparallel relation to one face of disc 21 from which projects a stud 51 which is adapted to engage the arm 510 to tilt the switch to circuit-closing position. The cooperating switch and disc are arranged in a manner whereby the switch will be positioned in open-circuit position upon expansion of rod 16 at high temperatures and will be moved to closed-circuit position against the action of spring 49 upon contraction of rod 16 at relatively low temperatures. This arrangement of the switch and disc permits of combined control of the furnace dampers as previously described and also permits simultaneous and cooperating control of a stoker operating motor, not shown; whereby'. when the furnace temperature is low, the draft' damper is opened and the stoker motor is started to feed fuel to the furnace, and. when the furnace temperature Vraises to a-*predetermined point, the

draft damper is closed and the stoker motor is stopped. I

The invention having been set forth, what 1s claimed as new and useful is:

2. In a thermostatic furnace"control,`a` frame,

arod disposed in said frame and fixedly secured thereto at one of'its ends', said frame and rod having different coefficients of expansion, a disc rotatably carried by said frame, means pivotally connecting the free end ofthe rod eccentrically of said .,disc, a flexible chain mounted on the periphery of said disc, and meanscarried by said disc and engaging said chain'to prevent slipping of the chain on the disc. Y n

`3. In a thermostatvi'c furnace control, a frame, a rod 'disposed in said frame and fixedly secured thereto' at one'r of itsfendssaid frame and rod having different coefficients of expansion, a disc rotatably carried. by Ysaid frame, a link pivotally connected to the Afree end of said rod adjacent said disc, saiddlink being pivotally connected to said disc eccentrically thereof and a flexible ntiember` frictionally engaging the periphery of said'` disc for actuation thereby. i,

4. InV a thermostatic furnace control, a frame,

a' rod disposed "in said frame andgflxedly secured e thereto at one of its ends, said frame androd having diiferentcoefiicients of expansion, a disc rotatably carried by said frame, a link pivotally connected to the free end of said rod adjacent said disc, 'said link being pivotally connected to saidA disc4 eccentricallyv thereof, "and furnace damper controlling means operatively connected to said disc. l j

5..In a thermostatic furnace control, a frame, a rod'disposed in said frame and xedly secured thereto at one of its ends, said frame and rod having different coefficients of expansion, a disc rotatably carried by said'frame, a link pivoted to the free end of said rod4 and eccentrically of said disc, the disc-connected, end of said link being curved to "permit substantial alignment ofthe pivotof said link with the axisof said rod, and

GEORGE W. FOLK. 

